Police murder unarmed, fleeing Michael Brown, 18, in St. Louis suburb

Ferguson, Mo., Aug 10, 2014 – A local NAACP chapter has called for a federal investigation into the death of a Black teenager who was shot by police in a St. Louis suburb on Saturday, Aug. 9.

Eighteen-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed Saturday afternoon near his grandmother’s house by a Ferguson police officer. St. Louis County police have not given a reason for the shooting, which happened in a predominantly Black suburb a few miles north of downtown St. Louis.

After the shooting, a confrontation between police and hundreds of neighborhood residents lasted several hours, with shouts of “kill the police.” At the height of the post-shooting tensions, 100 police cars from 15 departments, according to KSDK, responded to the area near the Canfield Green Apartments in Ferguson, a city of about 21,000 residents, about two-thirds of whom are Black. Officers were armed with M-16s, according to KMOV.

KMOV also reports witnesses saying Brown was unarmed and had his hands in the air when he was shot multiple times by an officer. According to Huffington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that protesters came face to face with police at the site of the shooting, raising their arms in the air and chanting, “Don’t shoot!” “A dumpster was reportedly lit on fire. As tempers cooled, mourners participated in a prayer circle and vigil.”

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Slate.com reports: “After a night of protests in Ferguson following the shooting of Michael Brown, officials confirmed the 18-year-old was not armed and was running away when he was shot ‘more than just a couple’ of times, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said.” “They told me how many times my son was shot. Eight,” said Michael’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, according to USA Today.

The St. Louis County Police are investigating the shooting. But John Gaskin, a member of the St. Louis County NAACP, said the FBI should get involved “to protect the integrity of the investigation.”

Michael Brown, 18

He alluded to the 2012 racially charged shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a Florida neighborhood watch organizer who was subsequently acquitted of murder charges, as well as the New York man, Eric Garner, who died from a police chokehold after he was confronted for selling individual untaxed cigarettes.

“With the recent events of a young man killed by the police in New York City and with Trayvon Martin and with all the other African-American young men that have been killed by police officers … this is a dire concern to the NAACP, especially our local organization,” Gaskin said.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that she would ask the U.S. Justice Department on Monday for a formal investigation.

Brown’s grandmother, Desiree Harris, said she saw him running in her neighborhood Saturday afternoon. Just minutes later, she heard a commotion and went outside to check on it. She found Brown’s body less than two blocks away.

“When I got up there, my grandson was lying on the pavement. I asked the police what happened. They didn’t tell me nothing.”

With his post on Twitter of a photo of Michael’s body lying in the street, Michael Skolnik tweets, “Mike Brown’s body was left in the street for four hours before the police removed him. #Ferguson.”

The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports: “Eyewitness, Piaget Crenshaw, 19, was waiting for a ride to work when she said she saw the police officer attempting to place Brown in the rear seat of a squad car.

Lesley McSpadden is comforted by her husband, Louis Head, after her 18-year-old son, Michael Brown, was shot and killed by police in the middle of the street in Ferguson, Mo., near St. Louis on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014. – Photo: Huy Mach, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, AP

“She then observed the teen, hands in the air, attempt to flee. Several shots were fired at Brown as he ran, Crenshaw said, striking him in the head and chest.

“Crenshaw said police asked and she complied with a request that she turn photos of the scene over to authorities.”

Another witness reports she was waiting for a ride when she saw Brown near a police vehicle, according to Viral Global News. He was not cuffed, but reportedly had his hands up in the air. The witness has turned over cell phone footage to investigators.

Harris said her grandson had recently graduated from high school and was looking forward to the future. “My grandson never even got into a fight,” she said. “He was just looking forward to getting on with his life. He was on his way.”

Michael’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, said he was looking forward to starting school at Vatterott College next week, according to Slate.com.

Michael Brown’s grieving mother spreads flowers on the street where her son was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Mo. – Photo: John Kelly, KSDK

McSpadden had harsh words Saturday for authorities: “You’re not God. You don’t get to decide when you get to take somebody from here,” she told KSDK.

Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson told the Post-Dispatch that the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave.

“We are hoping for calm and for people to give us a chance to conduct a thorough investigation,” Jackson said.

Crowds marched through the streets Sunday morning and afternoon, calling for justice, reports USA Today. Brown’s family is asking for the crowd to gather at the crime scene Sunday at 8 p.m. for a candlelight vigil.

Protesters are calling for 10,000 people to join them in protesting at 10 a.m. Monday at the Ferguson Police Department. A peaceful prayer vigil outside the police department is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday.

Rev. Al Sharpton, president of National Action Network, announced today: “I just spoke with Leslie McSpadden, the grandfather of Michael Brown. He has asked me to come to St. Louis in light of the police killing of his grandson to assist the family in achieving a fair investigation and justice. I assured him that National Action Network will stand with the family, as we have done for families around the country and assist in any way that we can.”

Abena Agyeman-Fisher is the senior editor of NewsOne, where this story first appeared. Most recently she worked for AOL as the news programming manager of Black Voices and for the New York Times Co. as an associate health editor. Abena, a Spelman College graduate, has been published in The Source, Vibe, Vibe Vixen, New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger, About.com, BlackVoices.com, Jane and Upscale Magazines. She can be reached at afisher@interactiveone.com. Bay View staff contributed to this story.

25 COMMENTS

My unarmed dumb ass son died because he was no Mental Genius . Trying to Arm himself with the Officers Gun was not smart . So all you boys in the Hood don’t be going after the Mans Gun. You will die and yo Mama be looking for a big PAYDAY .

My name is April Sanchez My Son Ryan Ronquillo was shot mutiple times by Denver Police Department July 2 2014 they say were try to serve 2 felony auto theif warrants my son was armed was in a stolen car and they shot him 3times in the head1 in the arm ! They need to be stopped I dont care how bad these kids are theyre suppose to preserve life not murder I dont care what they say that he used car as weapon they were in front of that car trying to pull him out yrying to bash in windows why didnt shoot at the car in first place not at my son FuCk THESE MURDERS PIGGS

Meant to say he WASNT ARMED HE WAS AT A FRIENDS SERVICES AT A FUNERAL HOME WHEN POLICE SWORMED IN ON HIMIN THE PARKING LOT OF FUNERAL HOME LOOK UP JUSTICE 4 Ryan Ronquillo it will tell u story im not asking 4 money just support to hold these fuckers accountable!!!

Police, and others to whom lethal authority is granted, must be held to a higher standard. When they do wrong, they should pay a much higher price. If that constraint is too much, then that person should choose another occupation. Murder is murder no matter what uniform one wears.

when the police tell you to do something do as thay ask
do not try tp take his gun you are looking for trouble
if the police think there life is in danger thay will act
there is more to this story
rev al will put his two cents in and cause more problems

The police asked him to to get out the street he and he kept walking so the police fired a shot when mike felt the shot he turned around with his hands up the officer then continued to approach mike and fired 8 more shots

We’ll have to hear from both sides and hear from Witness’s as well, I’m going to wait
until I hear the Police officer explanation for shooting an unarmed person, I’ve heard
that he was shot the as many as 8 times, Most people would think that once was enough
when the officer knew he was unarmed already, Why would this kid go after the officers
gun if he had one of his own, It doesn’t make any sense but we’ll have to wait for that
explanation, Fortunately for this victim, unlike Trayvon Martin, There are witness’s, Then
it will be up to the individual to decide which party is telling the truth,

You are so Correct, According to the Witness on T.V. this morning. He wasn’t fleeing, He was
standing in the middle of the street with his hands in the air, Then the Officer proceeded to
shoot Mr. Brown in the face, That’s going to be very hard for the officer to explain if Mr. Brown
was over 20 feet away, So far the only misleading information seems to be coming from the
Police dept, With the justice dept now involved, Eventually we’ll fine out more information and that will make it easier for the society to make a Judgement, Patients Please, Jimmy b.

Whiskey man what a shame the police did not shoot your red neck Ku Klux Klan online only tough guy ass to death. Besides it’s egregiously obvious you certainly have ascertained first hand knowledge on the events in this police induced homicide which have taken place correct? I would pay an entire months salary to bear witness to such a comical desirable event, the police firing One hollow point bullet right between the eyes of a knuckle dragging cowards sloped forehead cranium ventilating that pea you call a brain in a sub humans skull to the earth.

People r so ignorant My son was shot mutiple times July 2,2014 by the Denver Police Dep while they followed allday to follow him to a funeral home he was attending as my 20yr son was entering the funeral home he was backin in car n they swormed in on.my son wasnt armedpunching him n other officers punching the window on passinger side they couldve jx did other conclusions so much safer but our soeity is so fucked upthey wanna let these piggs that murder a worse crime n jx let them have their jobs back n im left here in pain weak trying to fight theses fuckers myself cause everyone else dont give a fuck PEOPLE NEED TO WAKE UP THEIR GETTING AWAY WITH KILLING OUR KIDS!!

NAAWP – WHITE TEACHER MURDERED by a YOUNG BLACK SAVAGE – No Riots … NONE! BLACK TEEN to be tried as ADULT in WHITE TEACHER’s DEATH!

NAAWP BLACK on WHITE RACE-HATE CRIME NEWS UPDATE: 08-12-2014

A judge has denied a request to have a Salem, Massachusetts BLACK TEEN BOX KNIFER tried as a minor in the RAPE, ROBERY and MURDER of his WHITE MATH TEACHER.
Former Danvers High School student PHILIP CHISM is accused of killing WHITE teacher COLLEEN RITZER in October. The YOUNG BLACK SAVAGE was 14 at the time.
Salem Superior Court Judge Howard Whitehead heard arguments Tuesday from prosecutors and defense lawyers.
Defense attorney Denise Regan said the state law requiring minors 14 and over that are charged with murder to be tried as adults is “wrong and unconstitutional” because it violates their constitutional rights.
But Essex County Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall said Chism is accused of a “heinous and brutal” murder and is “amply protected” under the current law.

Dear Mark,
There was a immediate arrest made in the Case , The guy is Guilty, And He’s going
to prison. What we’d like to know is why the Police dept. won’t even release the Autopsy
so we can see how many times this kid was shot. We know what happened in the case
in Massachusetts, We just don’t know Four days later why we can’t get answers, That case
had no secrets , This one does, I doubt they left that ladies body in the middle of the street
for four hours, Patients Please , Not ever case is equal in it’s investigation, We’ll be able
to debate this case in due time, Have a great day, Please remember , The dead kid wasn’t
one of the rioters , Just the victim, Thank you, Jimmy b.

A judge has denied a request to have a Salem, Massachusetts BLACK TEEN BOX KNIFER tried as a minor in the RAPE, ROBERY and MURDER of his WHITE MATH TEACHER.
Former Danvers High School student PHILIP CHISM is accused of killing WHITE teacher COLLEEN RITZER in October. The YOUNG BLACK SAVAGE was 14 at the time.
Salem Superior Court Judge Howard Whitehead heard arguments Tuesday from prosecutors and defense lawyers.
Defense attorney Denise Regan said the state law requiring minors 14 and over that are charged with murder to be tried as adults is “wrong and unconstitutional” because it violates their constitutional rights.
But Essex County Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall said Chism is accused of a “heinous and brutal” murder and is “amply protected” under the current law.

You wonder why it’s blacks all the time maybe because some not all are up to no good that dude looked big if he wanted my gun I might do the same instead of stealing merchandise wait to see the facts and then maybe people wouldn’t stereotype